Portable check protector



Sept. 27, 1932. L.. J. LEVI PORTABLE CHECKPROTEGTOR Filed S'ept.. 13, 1950 ATTORNEY M A which may be formed ot any suitable metal are provided .at one end with enlargedbe'an Patented Sept. 27,1932 y i Y i Y p, i

UNITED STATES eATENror-Fic-E IEAYLE I. LEVI, or s'r. Tirer/IAS, vIRGIN IsIiAi'ins p ronrfiiatn 'CHECK PROTECTOR Appiicauoii inea september 13, i930.' seriai millenni..

My invention relates to check protectors ends thereoiwhich with the hingedcovers and particularly to such a device which is 19 and 13 and the side walls forms two com-V adapted for personal use. partinents. The covers are independently V1t is an object of the invention to provide hinged'to one et the side walls at 14 as best a check protector of compact form which shownvin Figure 1l. may be conveniently vcarried in the pocket of For conveniencethe compartments will be the user, referred to asthe upper and lower coiiipart-v It is a further object to provide a ccinments. f f

K bination check protector and cigarette or With the yparts in the relation shown in "5"; vanity case thereby eliminating the carrying the drawing, the lower coinpartinentis used 60 of a multiplicity 0f articles, either as a cigarette case, vanity case or `for It is a further objectot the invention to any other purposes lor which 2L Small ,CaSe provide a. check protector in which the sevis usually carried on the person.

eral parts will be removable, easily deinount- .The upper compartment iis used to house .in able and readily repla@ i the improved check protecting apparatus.`

It is a further object to provide a device 1n order to niake-.provisionfor the possiof the character described which will be `bility Of TepllS, 21H01' th@ WOTkiDgpiutS are cheap to manufacture, efficient in operation made readily removable, the keys, cutting and which will not be eas-ily damaged or bedies, springs, shafts and die plateall being come out of Orden Y mounted on abase plate `which may beread- 70, Further objects of the invention will beily removedfrom the case. y s f I come apparent during the course of the 'fol- The Vbase plate 15 is shown as having its lowing detailed description, taken in con forward portion serving Vas adieplate 16 junction with the accompanying drawing, although a separate die plate could be proin which like numerals refer to like Yparts Vlded andattached to tli'erbase plate in the throughout the saine and in which :A y Same position. The vdie plate 16 in the em- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the check bodilnent shown isv provided with vthirteen protector in closed position, die characters 17 readingv from l to 9 in- Figure 2 is ,L top plan View with V15h@ @over elusive and also a dollar` sign, zero, star and opened back, i decinialpoint. Y

Figure 3 is a section 'maken on line z3-i3 of These dws are adaptedto Cooperate with Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the p dllles 18 Corresponding each with a par-V aHOWS, Y ticular `die member. The punches 18V are Figure l is a'section taken on line lr-l of Carried 116211 the free end and on the forward Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the face of elongated key members 19 pivotally arrows, 'and V v mounted rearwardly of the base plate 15. Figure 5 is a detail @nim-ged View 0f a The` punchesA are. preferably formed sepaf part of the device, showing'the manner of rat'ely from the keys and are'attached there- A positioning a check therein and of operating t0 111 any CODVGIHSD mnner. upon the Sama Attlie rear of the b ase plate and either 90 Referring 11G-W i0 therdmwg i1; will be side thereof are provided shaft bearings 20 geen that, the impl-@ved Check protector is' and 21 which support between them a key enclosed in a flat, square or rectaiigularcase Shaft 22 Mld 21 Spllllg' Shaft 23. The keys 19 and which may be suitably decorated comeV ing portions 211 through which the key shaft 95 mensurate with the price tobe'charged for 22 passes and whereby they are pivot-ally the article. The side walls of the case are mounted thereon. A projection 25 extendtorined by an open ended square or rectanguing fromy each bearing ,portion 24 is adapted lar metal member 10 provided with a divitoabut against the edge of a rstop plate 26,

` i sion plate 11 approximately midway of the carried by theundersi'de of the base plate 10o worn or damaged part-s.

thereby limiting the backward pivotal movement of the keys 19 past the vertical position shown in Figure 4. Apertures 27 formed in the base plate are provided for the passage of the stops therethrough.

The key shaft 22 may be slid endwise of the bearings 20 and 2l when the base plate is removed from the case, thereby releasing all of the keys and allowing replacement of The walls of the case serve to retain the shaft in position when the base plate is in position in the case.

In order that the keys .will automatically assume avertical position ready for operation when the cover l2 is opened and thrown back, springs 28 areprovided for raising the same to such vertical position. These springs are carried bythe spring shaft 23- above referred to and have one end adapted to ride in slots 29 formed in the forward face of the keys 19, the other end being adapted to lie upon the upper face of the base plate as will be clearly understood.

l/Vhen the device is inz closed position, the cover l2 serves to hold the keys in their downward position. However, as soon as the cover is opened the keys are snapped to erect position by the springs' 28. j

F or the protection of the punches and dies and to insure that the punches will enter the dies in true alignment therewith, spaced, key guides 30 are providedat asuitable place on the upper face of the base plate. These upstanding spaced guides 30 form a passage into which the keys must fit before the punches can come into operation.l

In order to hold a check in the device and to properly align the same ready for the l punching operation, a check bail and guide 3l is provided just rearwardly of the die members 17. The bail and guide 3l is formed of an elongated piece of sheet metal or other suitable material and is rolled at its rear edge to provide an eye for the reception of a shaft 32 carried by the base plate l5. This construction provides a pivotal mounting for the bail and springs 38 are providedffor holding the forward portion of the bail` in yielding-contact with the plate 15. The forward edge of the bail may be provided with a slightly raised lip 34 to facilitate the introduction of a check thereunder.V The rolled rear edge 35 of the bail forms a guide for the top edge of the check when in position in the device. rIhe top surface of the bail is provided with markings 36 which facilitate even spacing of the characters cut in the check.

As the die plate willV be subjected to quite a bit of pressure during continued use of the device, supports 37 are provided at suitable points thereunder, these supports restingV on.

the division plate ll. The supports 37 are cut out in U shape so as: to provide for the i easy removal of the cuttings from the dies. c

thereby making the numerals and characters thereon clearly visible. rIhe written check to be operated upon is then slipped under the bail 8l and is pushed against the back guide 35 as shown in Figure 5. rIhe check is then adjusted under the twelfth key, leaving about an inch from the left hand edge eX- posed, the key is pressed down and a star is cut out of the paper. The check is then slipped from that position and the previouslyy punched .star is brought into alignment with the marking on the bail just preceding the dollar sign. The dollar key is then pressed down and a dollar sign is cut in the check. This operation is then repeated for` each of the required numerals in rotation. By aligning the last punched character in each case with the bail marking just preceding the character to be punched next, the cut out characters in the check will be properly and evenly spaced. At the completion of the numerals the star key is rused again to prevent possible alteration of the check.

lIt willthus be seen that I have provided a very simple, efficient and compact device of the character descrbed'and one which may be easily taken apart for repairs or replacements. By providing a second compartment in the same case with the protector which may Y be used as a cigarette case, ladies compact or the like I also eliminate the necessity for the owner of the check protector carrying an unnecessary number of cases. about his person.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes in detail as may seem desirable may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim v l. Ina device of the character described, a receptacle, a hinged cover therefor, a base plate mounted within said receptacle, a die plate forwardly thereof, a key shaft rearwardly of said base plate, key members having bearing portions formed at one end thereof for pivotal mounting upon said key shaft, springs normally urging said key members to erect position, stops projecting from said bearing portions adapted to limit rearward pivotal movement of said key members, punches adjacent the free ends of said key members adapted to cooperate with said die plate, said hinged cover serving to engage and retain said keyinembers in lowered position when closed.

2. In a device of the character described, a receptacle, a division plate serving to divide said' receptacle into superposed compartof said check guide.

ments, hinged covers for each of the compartments thus formed, a base plate mounted in one of said compartments, a die plate formed forwardly of said base plate, bearing members mounted rearwardly and at either side of said base plate, a key shaft mounted in said bearing members, key members pivotally mounted upon said key shaft, said key shaft being held from axial movement by the side walls of said receptacle and being capable of endwise removal from said bea-rings when said base plate is removed from said compartment, and punches mounted adjacent the free ends of said keyV members adapted to cooperate with said die plate.

3. In a device of the character described, a base plate, a die plate forwardly thereof, a check guide mounted on said base plate adjacent and rearwardly of said die plate, said check guide being in the form of a pivotally mounted sheet metal bail adapted to engage the upper face of a check to be operated upon and having a portion in alinement with said die plate for engagement by the upper edge of said cheek, said bail being provided with markings on its upper face, key members pivotally mounted rearwardly of said base plate, punches mounted adjacent the free endsaof said key members and adapted to cooperate with said die plate, and upstanding key guides mounted on said base plate rearwardly LEAYLE J. LEVI. 

